A Good Year
by ScribeofArda
Summary: Because 2016 was a complete and utter joke, and just a terrible year, so I wanted to write something that didn't mean much at all, to hopefully make people feel happier. Midwinter in Mirkwood: Elladan and Elrohir come to visit, Elrond and Gandalf argue over books, there's ice skating and ice hockey and snow, and the beginning of a new year. Sorry for being gone so long!


**A Good Year**

 _So I'll get this out the way first: it's been a long time since I last published anything, I know. Life has gotten very busy, and though I have multiple stories I'm working on, I'm finding it very hard to concentrate on one long enough to write something substantial. There's another story coming soon(ish) which is a classic angst story, bc I was trying to get out of the rut of writer's block._

 _This story is just fluff, because 2016 has been, globally, a terrible year. I could talk a lot about 2016, the deaths and decisions made out of fear and hatred, but I won't. We've all seen enough of it. So here is a pointless story that will do nothing for this world except maybe make some people happier, for a little while. And for me, that's enough. The game they play in this is essentially ice hockey- I checked, and a variety of that has been around for centuries, and apparently even Norse vikings played it._

 _Hope everyone has had a good Christmas, Hanukkah or holidays, and a good start to 2017._

 _Disclaimer: only Belhadron belongs to me. This is crossposted on AO3 under the name ScribeofArda, as are some of my other works._

 _0-o-0-o-0_

Waking up was a slow process. Weariness clung to him, pulling him back down into the darkness and the warmth. For a brief moment he wasn't quite sure where he was; he'd become so used to sleeping out in the forest that the warmth and softness of his own bed was strange to wake up to.

There was a muffled groan from the other side of the room, and Legolas spent a brief moment trying to remember why there was someone else in what were definitely his rooms. He sat up to see Belhadron buried under a multitude of blankets and covers on the divan.

"I don't know why I agreed to this," Belhadron muttered, face down on the divan and his voice muffled by the pillow. "This divan is murder for my back."

"I didn't make you sleep there," Legolas said, slowly starting to wake up. "You all but collapsed on that divan as soon as you'd gotten out of your hunting leathers."

Belhadron groaned again, looking at the pile of discarded clothes and leathers, muddy and scratched and stained, on the floor. "I'm not getting up to deal with them," he said. "We have today off, don't we?"

"We have the whole month off," Legolas reminded him, wondering if it was worth it to try and go back to sleep, or if he was awake enough already. "The reports don't have to be finalised for another week, and it will only take a few hours. I'll want to check in on the others at some point today, but other than that we're off duty."

"Good," Belhadron muttered, and he fell back down onto his pillow. "We can actually relax over midwinter." He shifted, and then bit back a groan of pain as sore muscles protested. Their mission had been a long one; they'd been gone for nearly two months in the southern woods and had only arrived back late last night, having been on their feet for nearly three days without rest. It had been an eventful time.

Legolas winced as he sat up straighter, trying to untangle himself from his covers. "Why is there a letter on my mantelpiece?" he asked, sitting up and trying to pull his legs out from the blankets.

Belhadron rolled over so he could see the fireplace. "You've been away for two months," he said. "You're going to have letters waiting. _I'm_ going to have letters waiting, even if it's only my parents telling me not to bother coming home for midwinter because they've gone north to friends."

"Sometimes I wish I could tell your parents exactly what I think of them," Legolas muttered as he finally managed to get out of bed. "But my letters should be waiting in my study, not on my mantelpiece." He crossed the room and took the slip of parchment from where it was pinned under a candlestick.

"What is it?" Belhadron asked, finally pushing the covers off himself and sitting up. There was a bandage peeking out from underneath the collar of his shirt, and he rubbed at it absently. An orc had gotten in a lucky blow a few weeks ago, but the wound was healing nicely and it only just irritated him now.

Legolas frowned. "Breakfast in my rooms, before ten," he read out. "It's my father's handwriting." He glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece. "It's already gone nine."

Belhadron groaned, and got off the divan. "I already want to go back to sleep," he muttered as he crossed to Legolas' closet to pull out some clothes for the both of them. He pulled back the curtains on his way. "It snowed again last night," he said. "Maybe the lake has frozen over."

"I did not get through these past two months in the southern woods just to watch you break a leg on that ice," Legolas called after him as Belhadron disappeared into the closet. He studied the note again that his father had left. "Do you think he left this note before we got back?"

Belhadron shrugged, coming out of the closet and handing Legolas his clothes. "I really don't know," he replied. "But I picked out your nicer jacket, just in case. And I'm stealing your other nice jacket, because I can't be bothered to go to my rooms and get mine." He glanced over Legolas' shoulder. "Stop worrying over it, and get changed."

Legolas half-heartedly attempted to elbow Belhadron in the stomach, and Belhadron laughed, twisting out of the way. "If you don't hurry up, I'm not taking the blame from your father," he said over his shoulder as he walked off.

They were tired and sore, but they were also soldiers, and they knew how to get ready quickly. Legolas plaited his hair over his shoulder with a grimace as his fingers caught on the knots. "Ready for whatever this is?" he asked.

"For all we know, your father just wants to see you after our mission and I'll get kicked out of the room as soon as I enter," Belhadron said. "But yes, I'm ready." He grabbed the jacket slung over the end of the bed and tugged it on, and they headed out the door.

"You can go in first," Belhadron said with a wry grin as they approached Thranduil's rooms. "Just in case I'm not wanted."

Legolas rolled his eyes. "Don't be dramatic," he chided, but he obliged him and stepped ahead, pushing open the door into Thranduil's rooms. He stuttered to a stop in the doorway, and Belhadron nearly walked into his back.

"Are we in trouble?" he asked, and looked over Legolas' shoulder. For a moment, he froze.

Thranduil looked up, sat at the head of a table set for breakfast. "Good, you saw my note," he said. "Take a seat. There's still plenty left."

The other people seated at the table looked up at their entrance. "Legolas, Belhadron, you both look exhausted," said Elrohir with a grin. "Come and eat something before you pass out on us." Elladan got up from the table and pulled them over, a wide smile on his face as he pushed them into seats.

"When did you get here?" Legolas asked, taking a bread roll from the basket his father handed him without really noticing. He kept looking between Elladan and Elrohir, as if he wasn't quite sure that he was actually awake. Belhadron was the same, though he looked more like he just wanted to go back to sleep again.

"Just over a week ago," Elladan said, piling Belhadron's plate with food as Thranduil watched with an amused smile. "We heard that you'd returned last night, but knew you would be exhausted and thought it best to let you sleep before surprising you."

"There's two more places set at the table," Belhadron pointed out quietly. Indeed, the two seats to one side of Thranduil were empty, though places were set for whoever was intended to show up.

Thranduil waved one hand. "Elrond and Mithrandir have become distracted by my library again," he said. "Apparently one of Thingol's books was found by my scholars, and they're arguing over who gets to read it first. They'll be along when they get hungry."

Elladan turned his laugh into a cough. "So how was the south?" he asked Legolas and Belhadron, ignoring the slight smirk on Thranduil's face that would surely make him laugh again.

Legolas shrugged. "Tiring," he said, eyeing Belhadron, who looked like he could quite easily fall asleep at the table, even in front of his King. Belhadron raised his head and just nodded, before Elladan pushed more food in front of him and he went back to eating.

"But successful?" asked Thranduil. "I have read the initial reports, of course, but there is always more to know."

"Successful enough," Legolas replied. "I think this winter is going to be quiet, judging by the state of the southern woods. It is better than it was a decade ago, that is definite." He stifled a yawn. "We can get the full reports done in a few hours, and then I think both of us are off duty until past midwinter."

"Can they wait?" Thranduil asked. "Neither of you seem in much of a fit state to do anything." He knew, of course, that they could if they needed to, but they were in a safe place after spending months constantly alert for danger, and being able to drop their guard was surprisingly tiring. Their bodies knew that they were safe, and that they could relax and allow themselves to be tired.

"They can wait," Belhadron said. "Until the end of the week, at the latest. We can do them tomorrow. It gives the patrol time to rest before forcing them to do reports." It was a very thin excuse, and everyone at the table knew it, but Legolas merely nodded.

Thranduil smiled, and was about to say something when the door to his rooms opened. "Ah, they're awake," Gandalf said as he walked in, Elrond close behind him. "No injuries?"

"Nothing serious," Legolas said, trying to hide a smirk as Gandalf eyed him suspiciously. "Don't worry, Mithrandir. We're not hurt."

"Just very tired," Belhadron muttered, and Legolas rolled his eyes.

"Tell me, is my library still intact?" Thranduil asked. "And where is that book now?"

"The issue is not yet resolved," Elrond said diplomatically, and Gandalf huffed, muttering under his breath. Elrond glanced at Elladan, who he was sat next to, and shifted his sleeve to show the corner of an old battered leather-bound book hidden in the folds of his robes. Elladan promptly choked on his drink, coughing until Legolas reached over and hit him on the back.

"Don't mind me," Elladan rasped, reaching for a glass of water. "I'll just die quietly in the corner over here."

"Please do," Belhadron murmured. "Some of us have only had five hours of sleep in the past three days." He yawned, and Elrohir elbowed him in the side in an apparent attempt to keep him from falling asleep at the table.

"Are you heading home for midwinter, Belhadron?" Elrohir asked, as Thranduil, Elrond and Gandalf fell to their own quiet conversation, most likely over the contents of the book. Belhadron shrugged.

"I haven't had a chance to look at my letters yet," he replied. "But I doubt it. My parents are probably going to go north for midwinter, and I doubt I'll be invited. The family home reminds them a little too much of my brother, and he died around this time of year as well. It'll be easier for everyone if I stay here."

Legolas muttered something unsavoury about Belhadron's parents under his breath, and both Elladan and Elrohir looked annoyed on Belhadron's behalf. They'd heard plenty about Belhadron's parents, but had never met them, and couldn't help it if their views were slightly biased towards Legolas' opinions.

"At least it will mean more time with us," Elrohir pointed out as they ate. "We've kept ourselves busy enough for the past week or so, but it's not quite the same without the two of you around."

"Rhavaniel let us teach some of the new recruits," Elladan said with a grin.

"The novices?" Legolas asked, looking slightly worried. "How many did you break?"

Elladan snorted in amusement. "No, we stayed away from them," he replied with a smirk. "Rhavaniel let us terrorise the elves trying to get into your elite companies. We had some good times."

"I'm sure I'll hear all about it from my archers," Legolas said with a grin. "They do love watching the new recruits get beaten into the dirt like they were. Just wait; when the recruits get further in the process I let my archers have them for a day. It usually manages to make at least six retire from the process."

Belhadron huffed a laugh at that. He'd gone through the same rigorous process to be accepted into the company as all the others, as had Legolas. There were no exceptions; they had to prove that they were able to undertake such a responsibility without breaking under the pressure. And, like everyone who had passed through the process, he tended to enjoy inflicting it on others.

"What do you want to do today, then?" Elrohir asked, pushing his plate away. "And no, the answer cannot be sleeping," he said pointedly to Belhadron.

"Even though I am off duty, there are a few things I need to check up on and sort out," Legolas said with a grimace. "The hazards of being a Captain, I'm afraid. But it shouldn't take too long, and then we have a whole wonderful month in which to do nothing."

Elladan laughed. "I suppose you don't want to go down to the fields and see if we can't repay you for our sound defeat in archery last time we met, then?" he asked. "Though looking at you, it might not be a fair match."

Belhadron huffed a laugh. "Give us a week to catch up on sleep," he said. "And then we'll see what happens."

"If you want something to do today, then the lake has finally frozen over," Thranduil said, speaking over Elrond and Gandalf, who were engaged in yet another debate, to them. "And the ice is thick enough to bear weight."

Legolas grinned at the idea, and turned to Elladan and Elrohir. "Have the two of you ever skated?"

0-o-0-o-0

"I honestly had no idea this was here."

Legolas laughed, sitting down on the bank and starting to put on his skates. "It's fairly new," he said to Elladan. "They finished digging it about a decade ago, I think. The idea is that we can open those sluice gates over there and completely cut off the stronghold to protect it. When it's not frozen over, at least."

They had walked around to the back of the stronghold, where a large pond had frozen over and been cleared of snow. Their breath misted in front of their faces, and snow glistened on the branches of the trees.

Elrohir eyed the ice warily. "Remind me again why we're doing this?" he asked, looking down at the skates on his feet with trepidation. Legolas laughed again.

"Because it's good fun," he replied with a smile. "I can't believe that the two of your have never skated before."

"It doesn't usually get cold enough in Imladris," Elladan said. "The ponds may freeze over, but not enough to bear weight." He wriggled his feet, the thin metal of the skates glinting in the sun overhead. "How do you stand up?"

Legolas laughed again, and nodded at the post set into the bank. There were ones at regular intervals all around the pond, and as the twins watched a young child reached out and grab hold of the post next to them, using it to pull themselves up and then propel themselves out onto the ice. "If a child can do it then so can you," he pointed out. "Let me finish putting these skates on and then I'll help."

Legolas didn't even bother holding onto the post, just slipped easily onto the ice and skated in a wide circle, a grin on his face. "It's really not that hard," he said, sliding to a stop in front of them. "Look, I promise that you won't get hurt." He paused "That badly, at least."

0-o-0-o-0

Belhadron's breaths misted in front of him as he hurried down the steps outside the stronghold. It was early afternoon, and he'd finally finished wrapping up the final pieces of their mission that he'd taken off Legolas. He tugged his gloves on, his skates tucked under one arm.

He could already hear the sounds of people from the frozen pond, mostly the shrieks of children, but he could also hear a familiar laugh. As he walked around the corner of the path, reaching the pond, he saw why.

Elladan was flat on his back on the pond, still slowly sliding to a stop with a confused and slightly scared look on his face. Legolas was almost doubled over from laughing, both from Elladan and from Elrohir attempting to skate closer to his brother to help, and getting nowhere.

Belhadron shook his head, sitting down on the edge of the bank. "I leave you all alone for one moment," he said. "And this is what happens?"

"To be fair, you've been gone for nearly an hour," Legolas said, skating around Elladan and over to him. "How's the realm? Any disasters?"

Belhadron snorted. "We are officially off duty," he said with a grin. "If that's what you want to know. I signed all the paperwork before coming down."

Legolas grinned. "Are you coming onto the ice?" he asked. "You don't have to, but it's good entertainment."

Belhadron glanced out across the ice. It had been a few decades since he'd fallen through the ice of the Forest River and nearly drowned, but it still made him pause, sometimes. "I'll be fine," he said. "Just let me get my skates on and then I'll join you. Some of your archers are planning on coming down, so we can have a game later as well." He glanced behind Legolas. "You might need some time to get Elladan back on his feet anyway."

Belhadron was on the ice by the time Elladan was back on his feet, skating slow circles around them. His skates threw up tiny slivers of ice as he twisted into a spin, a grin on his face. "It's not that hard," he said with a laugh. Elladan stopped himself from making a rude gesture in front of the various children on the ice just in time.

"Here," Legolas said. "Just put one foot in front of the other, and push." He took off around the pond, skating leisurely and winding in between the various elves out skating. Elladan and Elrohir exchanged dubious glances, and then followed.

"Just don't cut yourself if you fall," Belhadron warned them, skating past with a grin on his face. "Those skates are sharp. I knew someone who fell and nearly took their arm off."

"Liar," retorted Elrohir, rolling his eyes. "Just because we've never skated before, it doesn't mean we're naïve idiots. We know that didn't happen. Also, you're about to trip over a child."

Belhadron cursed and spun around, only to find the ice in front of him empty. Elladan laughed, pushing off and skating past him with a grin, and he pulled Elrohir with him. "We can play at this game for as long as you like," Elladan said. "We're immortal; we have plenty of time."

They skated for a while, Elladan and Elrohir quickly grasping how it worked, and soon they ended up in a slightly dangerous game of tag. Everyone ended up falling at some point, whether by accident or someone else's hand; Elladan and Elrohir took great pleasure in teaming up to trip up Belhadron and send him skidding across the ice. At one point he barely avoided crashing into a group of children, only to win them to his side and send them chasing after Elladan with delighted yells.

"He certainly has a way with children," Elrohir said, skating up to Legolas' side. "I didn't know there were many families in the stronghold."

"He had a younger brother, remember?" Legolas replied. "He doesn't spend much time with children anymore, but he's still good with them. And these aren't any family's children, as such." At Elrohir's confused look, he elaborated. "They're wards of the realm. Their family died in service to the realm, so we take them in, look after them and give them teaching until they're grown."

"Oh," Elrohir said, watching them chase Elladan. "That's…thoughtful."

"Rhavaniel was one of them," Legolas mused. "She always says that it's what gave her the skills necessary to do her job. We don't have too much to do with the wards, but they sometimes run errands for us captains, or come to watch us train." He huffed a laugh as Elladan finally fell to the children, Belhadron getting tugged down as well and tussling with a few of them on the ice. Elrohir could see how carefully he handled them, even as they grabbed at his hair and threw themselves on top of him.

Legolas glanced over at him, catching his expression. "I suppose it's a little different, with a younger sister," he said.

Elrohir laughed. "Not as much as you would think," he said with a grin. "We certainly ended up with more than a few bruises over her childhood. When she was about fifteen, she had a particularly annoying habit of tackling us at random moments to see if she could take us down if we were surprised."

He watched as Elladan got back on his feet, Belhadron almost disappearing under a pile of children. "I think I should help my brother," Elrohir said. "He'll make my life miserable if I don't."

"I'm going to let Belhadron get mobbed for a little longer," Legolas said with a grin. "I'm his commanding officer, so he can't really do anything to me." He watched as Elrohir skated off, only slightly unsure on his skates as he went to try and help his brother. Belhadron managed to scramble free of the children pinning him down, and with a grin, Legolas went to make sure he didn't get away from them.

0-o-0-o-0

Thranduil held back a laugh as he watched Gandalf sink into the snow. "Mithrandir, perhaps we have found the one area in which you are lacking," he said, a sharp smile on his face. "Surely for someone as ancient as yourself you must have worked out how to walk on top of the snow? It is not that hard."

Gandalf grumbled, and half-heartedly swiped at Thranduil with his staff. "Perhaps I only do it so that elves such as yourself are not intimidated," he replied sharply. "Everyone has to have a weakness, after all."

"You could have chosen a more convincing weakness," Elrond commented. "You could-"

"If you tell me to burn a bright light from my staff and melt the snow away, I will not be responsible for my response," Gandalf said with a dark glare. "Your son, Thranduil, already gives me enough grief over that."

"I have no idea where he got that from," Elrond murmured. "Legolas doesn't get any of that from you, Thranduil, does he?" Thranduil merely laughed, ducking under a snow-laden branch. A slight jostle from his shoulder dislodged the snow just in time to land on Gandalf's hat.

"I don't know why I bothered to come all this way," Gandalf huffed, taking his hat off and shaking the snow off at Thranduil, who dodged it easily. Elrond stepped past them, coming the edge of the treeline. He looked out over the clearing at the back of the stronghold, the frozen pond glinting in the sunlight.

"Ah, they're beginning a game," he said over his shoulder. "I haven't played that in centuries."

Thranduil came up beside him, and a smile curled his lips as he watched Legolas and Belhadron, and some of Legolas' archers, on the ice. They were carrying long curved sticks, and passing a heavy leather ball between themselves as they warmed up. Elladan and Elrohir were off to one side with a basket of what looked like food, and a bottle of wine.

"We used to play this whenever I visited in the winter in Lindon," Thranduil said to Gandalf. "Though they had a larger lake."

"And were considerably more violent, if I remember correctly," Elrond added. "But it was good fun. Gil-Galad was always terribly disappointed when I returned with yet another black eye from your stick."

They watched over the pond for a while, Thranduil and Elrond reminiscing about some of the old days they had spent together, before the Last Alliance and Sauron's growing shadow and everything else they had endured. Legolas' archers had started up a game, each side trying to get the ball to the other end of the pond and through the coats that had been set out as goals. As with most games that these elves played in their free time, it soon turned violent.

Elrond winced as Belhadron, playing at the moment on the other team to Legolas, barrelled into Legolas, knocking the both of them off their feet. "That looked painful," he said, willing Legolas to get back up quickly before the ball spun too far away. "Surely they don't have the energy for this? They only returned last night from their mission, and already they're throwing themselves around the ice like this."

"At this rate, Thranduil, you'll have to carry your son to bed like you did when he was a child," Gandalf said with a laugh. "Perhaps we should call them inside before they collapse out on the ice." He winced as a loud crash made him turn back to the ice, to see many of Legolas' archers lying dazed on the ice, a few trying to untangle themselves from the mess of arms and legs and sticks. Elladan was doubled over laughing on the bank, whilst Elrohir looked torn between going to help and joining his brother.

"A little too late, Mithrandir," Elrond said, sounding amused. "I'm tempted to have a go myself. It's been a long time since I played."

Thranduil laughed. "Legolas' archers are incorrigible gossips. If they saw me play, then I would lose any reputation that I still hold with them, and my reputation would certainly suffer amongst the rest of the realm. I have spent a lot of time making sure people are scared of me. I won't lose all that over a game." He wrapped his cloak more securely around his shoulders. "By all means, Elrond, go and play, but do not expect me to do anything more than mock you for your terrible skating skills."

"Very funny," Elrond murmured. "Actually, I might head inside in a moment. There are still areas of your library that I want to further explore, in case any rare treasures turn up again." He shook his head. "I'm taking Thingol's book back to Imladris, by the way. Celebrian would love to see it."

"I can tell that you're emotionally manipulating me over that book by bringing up your wife," Gandalf grumbled. "But I'll allow it."

"I'm sure I won't be able to keep you away from it as soon as you step over my threshold," Elrond replied good-naturedly. "I'll see you inside at dinner?"

"If your sons and mine ever make it off the ice," Thranduil said over his shoulder as Elrond turned away to head back towards the stronghold. "Oh, and if you're going to steal more books from my library, please ask first."

0-o-0-o-0

There was a soft thump as Belhadron collapsed into the bank of snow. "I have bruises on my bruises," he muttered, turning his head just enough so he could breathe.

Elladan resisted the urge to try and bury him in the snow. "It's your own fault," he pointed out. "You decided to play that awful game."

"It's not awful," Belhadron protested. "It's good fun, if it does get a bit violent sometimes."

"A bit violent?" Elrohir asked. "One of your archers got carried off with a concussion!"

"He's off duty anyway," Belhadron said, shrugging as best as he could whilst lying in the snow. "He'll be fine tomorrow. Legolas broke his arm playing this a few years ago." He huffed a laugh. "Thranduil was furious with me."

"He wasn't really," Legolas said, skating up and joining them on the bank. "He just has a reputation to preserve. He found it all quite funny, actually, when he knew I was going to be fine."

"You could have told me that!" Belhadron protested. "I spent weeks worrying he was going to demote me because of it." He caught Legolas' expression, and laughed. "I know it's stupid now, but I didn't realise that at the time."

"At least you didn't break his ankle over a stupid game, like someone here a few years ago," Elrohir muttered, shooting a look at Elladan. It only lasted a few seconds before he laughed, and Elladan threw a handful of snow at him. From there, things quickly fell apart. It took a few hours for them to actually get back inside, and by then their clothes were soaked through from the snow. Legolas shook off his cloak as they walked inside, and the snowflakes glinted orange in the torchlight as they slowly drifted to the floor.

0-o-0-o-0

The morning of the new year dawned cold. Snow still covered the ground outside the stronghold, the trees bent beneath the weight of the sky above them, that turned from black to orange to blue as the sun crept up over the vast silence of the forest.

Thranduil put his goblet down, and wandered over to the doors to his balcony. He could feel the cold seeping through them as they stood open, though it affected him little. Standing in the doorway, he could hear Elrond argue once again with Gandalf behind him, could hear the twins talking quietly to each other. But his attention was on the lone figure leant on the balcony rail, staring out over the forest.

Legolas glanced over his shoulder, a faint smile curling his lips. "Do you want something?" he asked.

Thranduil shook his head. "No," he said. Legolas smiled, and turned back to the view. Thranduil didn't know what else to say, but suddenly realised how much he would give to preserve the moment in front of him: the quiet forest, and his son watching the sun rise over the trees. The thought surprised him for a moment, before it slipped away and settled deep within him.

He walked the few steps to join Legolas on the balcony, and slipped an arm around his shoulders. Legolas glanced up at him. "You're feeling nostalgic," he murmured, a slight question in his voice.

Thranduil pressed a kiss to his head. "I'm not," he murmured. It was the truth. Some part of him would always wish for the safer days of his youth, where there was not such a shadow hanging over them, but he wouldn't trade this moment of quiet for any of it.

Legolas sighed softly, leaning into his father. "Another year," he murmured. It was one step closer to an ending. They didn't know when it would come, or what it would bring, but for the moment, being closer to it was enough. There would be great celebrations in the evening, feasts and dancing and light shining through the forest, but for now it was quiet.

Legolas leant more heavily on the balcony and listened to the forest, the quiet sounds of a world stretching out in front of them. A smile tugged at his lips. "I think this might be a good year," he murmured.

"You think so?" Thranduil asked, looking down at his son. Legolas' gaze didn't pull away from the forest as he nodded.

"Yes," he said simply. "This is going to be a good year."

 _finis_

 _So I have some long stories in the works, but barely- trying to write something in its entirety is proving difficult at the moment. I have tentative plans for a modern AU of LoTR as well, if anyone would be interested in it? Feel free to ask about anything at all in reviews. There's also a classic angst story coming soon- it's nearly finished- and an AU where Legolas accompanies Aragorn to the Prancing Pony which is halfway finished, and that I really need to get back to._

 _Yeah, 2016 has been a complete joke. And the next few years are going to be tough. But we're all still here- we all still care. Humanity always wins, in the end. I'll do what I can to make the world a little better, and if that includes writing LoTR fanfiction for all of you, then that's what I'll do._

 _As always, reviews are very welcome. I'm sorry for being gone for so long, and I hope I'll be back again soon._


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